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Stalin seeks Centre’s intervention on release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has asked the Union jal shakti minister to direct Karnataka to release Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water as per a Supreme Court schedule. Tamil Nadu is facing a water deficit that is affecting the standing Kuruvai crop.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has sought Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s intervention to direct the Karnataka government to release the state’s share of Cauvery water, as per a monthly schedule prescribed by the Supreme Court.
In a letter to the Union minister on Wednesday, Stalin said the release of water was crucial for the standing Kuruvai, a key crop for farmers at Cauvery delta.
State water resources minister Durai Murugan, who handed over the letter to Shekhawat on Thursday, told reporters in Delhi: “He (Shekhawat) assured us that he will give instructions to Karnataka to release water and implement a water distribution system during times of water scarcity.”
The Tamil Nadu government’s move came days after Karnataka said it will not be able to release the former’s due share due to a water deficit.
In his letter, Stalin urged Shekhawat to direct the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to order Karnataka to abide by a monthly schedule prescribed by the Supreme Court in 2018 on the release of water.
On February 16, 2018, the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in the decades-old Cauvery water dispute, allocating more water to the state of Karnataka.
“I would like to bring to your urgent attention to the risks faced by the current Kuruvai crop in Tamil Nadu, due to Karnataka not releasing our due share of Cauvery waters and request your immediate intervention to save it,” Stalin said in his letter.
The chief minister said that since the southwest monsoon rains in the state is less, the Kuruvai crop depends on flows from Mettur reservoir, across Cauvery in Salem district, which in turn depends on release from Karnataka. The Tamil Nadu government had opened the Mettur reservoir on June 12 to facilitate the cultivation of Kuruvai.
Stalin said that although 12,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water was released from Mettur initially, as needed per day for the Kuruvai crop, it was later brought down to 10,000 cusecs. “Thus, we have been taking all efforts to manage the crisis with judicious water management. But the demand-supply gap is very significant and it can be met only by releases from Karnataka,” he said.
According to the Tamil Nadu government, the flows received at the inter-state border of Biligundlu between June 1 and July 17 stood at only 3.78 TMC, as against the prescribed quantum of 26.32 TMC for the period. “This leaves a huge shortfall of 22.54 TMC,” Stalin said.
“Even this meagre flow of 3.78 TMC realised at Biligundlu is from the flows from the uncontrolled intermediate catchment areas below the KRS and Kabini reservoirs up to Billigundulu,” he added.
On Monday, Karnataka agriculture minister and Mandya district in-charge N Cheluvarayaswamy pointed at a water crisis in the state. “As a practice, the Tamil Nadu government has demanded release of water from Karnataka. But when there is no water even for drinking, how is it possible to release water to them? A meeting will be convened soon to discuss the issue,” he said.
Stalin said that earlier this month, Tamil Nadu had appealed to the Cauvery Monitoring Committee to direct Karnataka to release the water for July. Subsequently, CWMA advised Karnataka to ensure the supply to Biligundlu but no such efforts were made. “In this critical scenario, the standing Kuruvai crop can be saved only if Karnataka releases water immediately,” he said.
“I, therefore, urge your personal and immediate intervention on this issue and request you to direct the CWMA to issue directions to Karnataka to abide by the monthly schedule prescribed by the Supreme Court and also make good the shortfall,” he added.
The two states are already at loggerheads over a proposal to construct a Mekedatu dam at Cauvery and are awaiting a tribunal to be formed by the Centre to settle a water-sharing dispute concerning Pennaiyar river.
Reacting to the letter, BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy said: “When BJP was governing Karnataka, there were no issues over Cauvery. As soon as DMK’s ally, the Congress, assumed office (in May), problems started.”
Thirupathy also sought to know why Stalin did not raise the matter during his two-day visit to Bengaluru for the Opposition parties’ meeting. “Isn’t it absurd that instead of solving the issue in person, you’re writing to the central minister?” he said.
HT reached out to Karnataka government on Thursday for a comment but could not get one immediately.
